The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has affirmed broker Scott Schlueter’s 48-month prison sentence even though it exceeds sentencing guidelines. Schlueter is accused of conducting an investment scam that resulted in over $300,000 in financial losses for investors, who also happened to be friends of his. Schlueter…
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority wants the District of Columbia Court of Appeals to reverse the D.C. Superior Court’s decision to not dismiss Amerivet Securities Inc.’s lawsuit against the SRO. The broker-dealer wants to inspect FINRA’s records and books. Amerivet Securities filed its complaint in August 2009 under the Delaware…
Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Schapiro says reducing the agency’s budget to where it was at in 2008 would result in “significant’ staff furloughs. Other likely consequences would be the curtailment of crucial travel, including visits to registered entities, the cessation of technology infrastructure initiatives, and the curtailing of the…
FBI agents have arrested Christopher Rad, a Texas man who is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and transmit email messages. Rad, 42, is the alleged ringleader of an international securities fraud group accused of working with botnet operators, hackers, and email spam in a pump-and-dump…
The US Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a securities fraud complaint accusing Juno Mother Earth Asset Management LLC and its founders Arturo Rodriguez and Eugenio Verzilli of looting over $1.8 million in assets from a hedge fund. The two hedge fund managers allegedly used the assets to cover Juno’s…
The US Supreme Court is upholding a $277 million securities fraud verdict against Apollo Group and two ex-Apollo executives over claims that they misled investors about a Department of Education review report dealing with student recruitment policies. Apollo is the University of Phoenix’s parent company. By issuing its order to…
At a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority fixed income conference earlier this month, FINRA CEO and Chairman Rick Ketchum says securities regulators are questioning whether investors looking at risky investment, including high-yield corporate bonds, fully understand what they are getting into when they delve into the high-yield market. Last year, approximately…
Southwest Securities Inc., a Dallas-based financial firm, has consented to a $500,000 fine imposed by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The SRO claims that the broker-dealer paid consultants to solicit municipal securities business-a violation Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board Rule G-38-and did not comply with a number of the board’s other requirements.…
Last month, our stockbroker fraud lawyers reported on a Securities and Exchange Commission order to freeze the assets of Michael Kenwood Capital Management, LLC and its principal Francisco Illarramendi for their alleged misappropriation of $53 million in investor funds. This month, Illarramendi pleaded guilty to securities fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy…
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority says that Morgan Keegan & Co, Inc. must pay over $250,000 in punitive and compensatory damages to Jeffrey and Marisel Lieberman. The couple suffered financial losses after investing in Greenwich Sentry LLP, a hedge fund whose assets were funneled to Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities. FINRA…